“From traffic light stalls to Mambo Cash and Carrys – what is the narrative behind the ongoing Somali shop culture in Bellville?”
This prefaced a quest to understand the Somali trade culture in Bellville, recently captured in a mini-documentary filmed by 27-year-old Thasy Jansen from Brackenfell.
From the highest rooftops overlooking Bellville, to shots filmed while cruising down Durban Road, scenes depict, among others, the Somali trade sphere rife in the business district (CBD).
In this documentary, a voice narrates what is titled: “The inception of Somali Bellville”: “Originally known as the twelfth-mile post, Bellville is a town and former independent city located in the northern part of Cape Town. Over the years, many Somali nationals have fled their country due to war and unrest. Thus, finding themselves in Bellville where they have created a way of living.”
However, it is worth noting Bellville’s other aliases characterised by locals as “Nigie-ville” is attributed to the palpable presence of Nigerian nationals.
‘Mass shop culture’
When Jansen explained to TygerBurger reasons why this topic evoked his interest, he was reminded of a time when he and his family had moved to Bellville before this trade culture took root in 2007.
“There had been many conversations around the transformation (seen in town) and, as someone who got to see it happen real time, the documentary tells the narrative from the inner-city perspective.”
The message he hopes viewers of this documentary would take away from it, is the lived experiences of the entrepreneurs within the hub itself and how many of them started their businesses amid the inception of the “mass shop culture”.
“For many years, there had been speculations on the inception of Somali Bellville and this documentary gives insight into the inception of the hub.”
To illustrate this, Jansen depicts an interview with a Somalian trader by the name of Lafanka who has made a living through informal trade in South Africa for over 20 years. Over the years, many like Lafanka have grown their businesses from roadside stalls, to running more formal shops.
The goods available for trade, as told by Lafanka, is mainly driven by the season.
“This five-minute documentary took about five months to produce,” said Jansen, a former Settlers High School learner who went on to attend the Red and Yellow Creatives School of Business.
From there, he started venturing filmmaking in 2021.
Census: Somalians and trade
According to a census released by the Greater Tygerberg Partnership (GTP) for 2017-’18 of Bellville CBD’s informal traders, Somalians make up 54% of informal traders in the area.
It also stated how the 2016 State of Cape Town report attributed a 4,5 percentage point reduction in Cape Town’s poverty rate which is considered equivalent to lifting 186 000 people out of poverty. In order to keep public spaces growing and economically productive, the pamphlet continues, the informal trade in Bellville CBD is an integral element to these strategies. Of the main reasons listed for trading in downtown Bellville, this census revealed 53% citing “proximity to customers”, while 21% cited “availability of space” and a further 16% was attributed to “proximity to transport interchange”.
The most common trade items listed in Bellville CBD were: herbs (3%); barber and hairdressing (11%); clothing, shoe sale & repairs (24%); accessories (3%); fruit & veg (10%); snacks & sale of tobacco (25%); cosmetics (3%); groceries (3%); fast foods (6%) and other (3%).
